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Sarek (episode)
Violent emotions sweep the Enterprise when Ambassador Sarek comes aboard to finish a long diplomatic mission. Summary Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan is beamed on board the to fulfill his latest diplomatic triumph, a treaty with a mysterious race known as the Legarans. He introduces his wife, Perrin, who, like his previous wife, is Human. He inspects the conference room and becomes uncharacteristically irritated that it is not properly prepared. After he has calmed down, he retires to his quarters, declining (through his aides) Captain Picard's invitation to show him the ship. Over the next 24 hours, several unusual incidents of lack of emotional control break out among the crew. Dr. Crusher slaps Wesley in a fit of anger, Riker and Picard yell at each other on the bridge, and a fight breaks out in Ten Forward. Sarek himself continues to show signs of strange behavior: he appears at an evening concert and actually cries at a moving moment in the performance. Eventually, Dr. Crusher and Counselor Troi deduce that Sarek is suffering from Bendii Syndrome, a rare disorder that causes Vulcans over 200 to lose emotional control, and he is unconsciously broadcasting his intense emotions to the humanoids around him. Unfortunately, the results of a test to confirm it will not be available before the scheduled meeting with the Legarans. Picard takes up the unpleasant task of confronting Sarek. First he has to get past the formidable Perrin, who is in complete denial about Sarek's condition. When he finally gets to speak to Sarek, it turns out that Sarek's Vulcan aide Sakkath has been using his own telepathic abilities to keep Sarek under control, but the pressure of the upcoming conference has exceeded his power to do so. When Picard presses Sarek further, the ambassador becomes enraged, proving the truth of the accusation beyond doubt. The problem is that the Legarans will deal only with Sarek. Picard volunteers to allow Sarek to mind meld with him, so that Sarek would have Picard's emotional control. Sarek is reluctant, warning that this would cause Picard to be overwhelmed by extremely powerful Vulcan emotions, but he ultimately agrees. After the meld is performed, Picard is indeed overcome, and in the presence of Beverly Crusher, pours out the contents of Sarek's secretly anguished soul. In the meantime, a restored and rational Sarek successfully completes his negotiations with the Legarans. The link is dissolved, and with the negotiations over and Sarek under less pressure, Sakkath can again help him. Picard bids farewell to Sarek in the transporter room. Their lives have been forever joined, and each will carry a part of the other with him. Picard feels he has the better part of the bargain. Log Entries * "Captain's log stardate 43917.4. The Enterprise has been given the singular honour of hosting the first meeting between the Federation and a mysterious race known as the Legarans. We are in orbit around Vulcan preparing to welcome aboard Federation Ambassador Sarek and his wife Perrin, who like his first wife, is from Earth." * "Captain's log supplemental. In three hours time we are scheduled to meet with the Legaran. However it is all too evident that Ambassador Sarek is in no condition to proceed with the conference." * "First Officer's log stardate 43920.7. Ambassador Sarek has successfully concluded the negotiations with the Legarans. The [[USS Merrimac (NCC-61827) | USS Merrimac (NCC-61827)]] has arrived and will transport the Ambassador and his party back to Vulcan." Memorable Quotes "I met him once... Many years ago, just briefly at his son's wedding. But I'll tell you it was quite a moment for a young lieutenant. Standing in the presence of such history... I was a little tongue-tied to be quite frank." "You, tongue-tied?" : - Picard and Riker "I see what you mean." : - Worf, upon entering a fight in Ten Forward "At least I don't have to find my women on the holodeck!" : - Wesley, having a heated argument with Geordi La Forge "I have been accused of many things in my life, never an excess of emotion" :- Sarek "My Husband has taken an interest in your career. He finds it to be...satisfactory." "My word...high praise from a Vulcan." :- Perrin and Picard "I don't understand this. Everyone is protecting Sarek: his wife, Mendrossen, even you!" "What would you have me do? March down there and ''destroy the man?!" "''The mission with the Legarans cannot be carried out with Sarek in this condition!" "I know that!" "THEN TELL HIM THAT THERE IS NO WAY!!" "DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!" : - Riker and Picard, affected by Sarek's condition "Captain. Commander." : - Data, able to calm Picard and Riker down "I saw you crying." "I did not cry." "I was there, I saw the tears." "You exaggerate, captain. I recall only one tear." "So you were emotionally affected by the music." "That is not possible." "You still haven't answered my question, Sarek. Is it logical for a Vulcan to cry?" : - Picard and Sarek "It is illogical for a Vulcan to show anger! Illogical! Illogical! Illogical! Illogical!" : - Sarek, raging against Picard's arguments "A mind-meld can be a terrible intimacy, captain." : - Sarek to Picard "NOOOOOOO!!!! It is... it is... wrong. IT IS WROOONG!!! A lifetime of discipline is washed away, and in its place... (laughs briefly then grunts) Bedlam. BEDLAAAAM!!! I am so old... there is nothing left but dry bones (sobs) and dead friends. Oh, tired. Oh, so tired." : - Sarek, in Picard's mind shortly after the mind meld "I will take my leave of you now, Captain. I do not think that we shall meet again." "I hope you are wrong, Ambassador." "We shall always retain the best part of the other inside us." "I believe I have the better part of that bargain, Ambassador. Peace and long life." "Live long and prosper." : - Sarek and Picard Background Information Story and production * According to Michael Piller, the story originally pitched involved another ambassador who begins to have mental problems on a mission. He recalled, "As we started talking about it in house on staff, we said what would really be interesting is if you took a very powerful member of either Starfleet Command or the Federation, and have them going through a time of their lives, like so many of our parents, where they're beginning to have problems with aging. From that point, it was two or three steps of somebody saying, 'How can we turn it into a science fiction show?' Somebody said, 'If you were a Vulcan, you could have some real telepathic impact from some kind of disease,' and from that point it was really short-stepped to, 'What about Sarek?' Sarek is an extraordinarily honorable character who we felt obliged to protect and deal with in a very respectful manner. At the same time, this becomes an extraordinarily personal story. A real stunning show." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) * Piller noted that the use of an established character like Sarek helped to "bring home the idea that even the greatest of men is subject to mental illness." (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) * For Piller, there was an even deeper resonance to the story. "What I remember most about that episode, however, is that in a very real way it reflected what was going on with the show at the time we wrote it. Gene [Roddenberry] was beginning to go into decline. Not that he was completely uncommunicative, but it was clear that he was not the same man that he had been. We all respected him so much, and he had been such an important, strong leader of the franchise and everything it stood for. But here is this great man – and I've only known him for less than a year at this point – here is this great man going into decline, and I immediately felt a very strong connection to the premise of 'Sarek,' because I could see that it really was about the universe that we lived in on a daily basis. If you go back and look at 'Sarek' closely, what that character is, is Gene Roddenberry." (Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission) * The script received an uncredited page one rewrite by Ira Steven Behr and Ronald D. Moore. * Behr wanted to include more direct references to Sarek's son, Spock, but recalled it was a great challenge to even mention the character at all, as there was caution among the writing staff at this time towards referencing the The Original Series. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) Continuity * It is revealed in this episode that Coridan successfully joined the Federation after the events of , partly thanks to Ambassador Sarek's support. * Sarek introduces Perrin to Captain Picard and Commander Riker as "she who is my wife". He introduced his first wife, and Spock's mother, Amanda to Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy exactly the same way. * Sarek admits that, in her lifetime, he never revealed the depth of his love for Amanda. In , his alternate self would, after her untimely death, tell much the same thing. * During his argument with Geordi, Wesley indirectly refers to the chief engineer's experiences with the holographic Leah Brahms, depicted in . * Though Data and company are supposed to be playing a concert of Mozart, the piece that brings Sarek to tears is the slow (second) movement of the Sextet #1 in B-flat Major by Johannes Brahms, which requires six instruments, not the four we see. (Although, the initial piece is indeed part of the Mozart Quartet for Strings No. 19 in C). * This is the first time a Vulcan mind meld was done in the series. * Picard's crumbling emotions, mirroring Sarek's inner turmoil, is an echo of a similar scene of Spock in , even down to a single take being used. * Mark Lenard reprised his role of Sarek for this episode. His next and last appearance would be in . Reception * Ronald D. Moore commented, "I think in some ways, it's even better than 'Journey to Babel'. Mark Lenard has a chance to do some solid acting. It's a character-driven show and that's different for us." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) * Michael Piller observed, "The key to the whole season is in personal stakes and personal drama. The Sarek story touches a lot of people." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) * Director Les Landau remarked, "There are some great moments in that show. When we first see Sarek listening to the concert and reacting to Data's beautiful playing of the violin and we, finally, see the tear fall from his eye...it reaches such a point within him that he can no longer take it and must leave the environs of the ''Enterprise theater which surprises the captain and Troi especially. There was just something about the way Mark Lenard played this moment and reacted that just made it extra special.'' :"The other moments that particularly come to mind in that episode is the mind meld between Picard and Sarek. Trying to come up with a way to conceptualize and shoot that became a frustrating point. I think, ultimately, when the two actors got to the set and showed me what they wanted to do, it just melded together and became a wonderful moment within the show. You always come to the set with a prepared framework for a particular scene, but you use that only as a schematic. When actors get to a set, all your planning can go out the window, and such was the case when Sarek finally says to Picard, 'Illogical, illogical,' to shed some kind of emotion. The dynamics between Picard and Sarek reach a level that I think is classic in ''Star Trek history.'' :"I think the most outstanding moment is when we finally see Picard sitting with Beverly, where he is the mind of Sarek thinking about his life that has come before, his former wife and the one and only reference to his son, Spock. If you watch what Patrick did in that scene, it is truly spectacular. I have had many great experiences on the show, but certainly that was one of the best. Patrick is so capable on so many different levels that one just lets him go." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) Video and DVD releases *Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 36, . *As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek - Crossovers Set: *UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 3.8, . *As part of the TNG Season 3 DVD collection. *As part of the Region 1 release of the Star Trek: The Next Generation - Jean-Luc Picard Collection. Links and references Starring *Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard *Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker Also starring *LeVar Burton as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge *Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf *Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher *Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi *Brent Spiner as Lieutenant Commander Data *Wil Wheaton as Ensign Wesley Crusher Guest Stars *Mark Lenard as Sarek *Joanna Miles as Perrin *William Denis as Ki Mendrossen *Rocco Sisto as Sakkath *Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien Co-Star *John H. Francis as a science division ensign Uncredited Co-Stars *Christopher Doyle as a command division crewman *Ken Lesco as a security ensign *Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace *Dan Koko as stunt double for Jonathan Frakes References 2164; 2273; Alpha Cygnus IX; ambassador; bacteria; Bendii Syndrome; Betazoid; book; Celsius; chief of staff; command center; concert; Coridan; D'Amato; Dumont, Suzanne; Earth; emotion; empath; Federation; flagship; food replicator; Grak-tay; Grayson, Amanda; Heifetz, Jascha; holodeck; insubordination; Klingon Alliance; Legara IV; Legaran; Legaran system; logic; love; meditation; Menuhin, Yehudi; metathalamus; Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus; ''Merrimac'', USS; NCC-7100; personal assistant; rank; Sextet Number 1; Spock; String Quartet Number 19; Tataglia; tears; telepath; Troi, Ian Andrew; Treaty of Alpha Cygnus IX; violin; virus; Vulcan; Vulcan (planet); Vulcan mind meld; water; wedding |next= }} de:Botschafter Sarek es:Sarek (episodio) fr:Sarek (épisode) it:Sarek (episodio) ja:TNG:英雄症候群 nl:Sarek (aflevering) pl:Sarek (odcinek) Category:TNG episodes